Questions and Comments..

Well, with 28 years of living and riding in Canada that has been my method
for most years. YMMV
I did try at one point when living in Vancouver BC (mild wet winters, only
occasional snow) of running the bike every 3 or 4 weeks in the garage to
keep things lubed, moving and a charge in the battery.
But.. That creates its own problems:
* Never runs long enough or at high enough rev's to provide any
meaningful charge to the battery that just cranked hard to start the bike
in the first place.
* Creates problems with possible condensation in the gas tank,
engine cases and exhaust pipes. None of which is good, just for the rust
problem alone.
I have discussed the pro's and con's of oil in or oil out of the bike for
storage with numerous motorcyclists and several automotive and motorcycle
mechanics (some instructors in their field). All have "experience" and
opinions but nothing scientific to offer.
I always run the bike well up to operating temps so all the moving parts are
well bathed in oil before I drain the cases. The bike usually only spends 4
- 5 months in storage before it is prep'd again for the next season.
If the Oil is left in, parts sit in a bath of lube for protection. Good.
But.. Many parts are only partially in the oil bath and many sit up above
the level of oil in the cases.
Condensation in the cases can sit on top of the oil for a long enough period
and cause rust across exposed gears, clutch plates, etc. Bad.
(I know, water is heavier and should be in the bottom of the cases if
present but, we are talking about small quantities on well chilled and thick
oil).
I don't have the luxury of heated storage for my bike (never have) so
temperatures fluctuation greatly over the period of time the bike is in
storage. Sometimes cold for long periods and other times up and down like a
toilet seat each day. Great if you want to create good conditions for
opportunities for condensation to occur.
This is why I fill the tank with gas and stabil. Greatly reduces the
surface area of metal in the tank exposed to possible condensation. The
other option is to drain it completely and spray with light oil, definitely
the preferred method for long term storage but not as easy.
Is this the Right / Wrong way to do this? Don't know, but like I said with
more than 20yrs of doing it this way, I have never had a
problem (knock wood!).. ;-D
But.. This is the first year I have left the battery in the bike in the
care of a Battery Tender Jr.
Paul W. Landry
P_Landry at telus.net
-----SNIP-----
From: sbixby at gmail.com [mailto:sbixby at gmail.com] On Behalf Of Steven Bixby
Oil drained? Is that a good idea?
I'm a 20-year California resident - ie, year-rounder, so I haven't
winterized a machine in many years.
On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 4:42 PM, p_landry at telus.net wrote:
> The bike is parked in the corner of the garage, oil drained, carbs
> drained, gas tank full (with stabil), tire pressures reduced (propped
> up to get both tires off the ground) and kept juiced with a Battery Tender
Jr.
>....